KU students attending the opening ceremony in Milan

Alyx Wood | @alyxbwood

As the Winter Olympics officially kicked off last Friday in Milan, most University of Kansas students watched from afar. But for KU juniors Emma Mullins and Katie Stecklein, the opening ceremony was an experience they witnessed firsthand.

The two students, who are studying abroad at John Cabot University in Rome, traveled nearly 400 miles by train to Milan to attend the ceremony. Mullins described how exciting it was to be surrounded by fans from all over the world.

“I feel like I’ve never surrounded myself with people from all different places,” Mullins said. “Everyone was there, not just one country, to support.”

Along with performances from Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli, the opening ceremony had many exciting moments, like the Parade of Nations, where athletes from each participating country entered the stadium.

“When they introduced all of the countries, it was really cool because the signs that had the countries’ names on them were made out of ice cubes,” Mullins said. 

For Stecklein, part of what made the night so memorable was going in with no expectations.

“I made sure to avoid looking up anything about the opening ceremony,” Stecklein said. “I literally knew nothing, so it was fun that everything was a surprise.”

While the two students continue their semester abroad in Rome, the experience has already given them a front-row seat to one of the world’s largest sporting events.

Watch the segment here: